Tis the season to be… shopping? Parking lots are crowded, the line for the cash register stretches to the door, even the mall Santa is starting to feel the stress. The American Research Group says average Americans plan to spend $859 on Christmas shopping this year. And if that seems like a lot of money, it’s actually the least amount of seasonal spending Americans planned to do in the last 10 years.
How do we strike the right balance? Geri Anne Higgins is the marketing director at the University Mall in South Burlington, the state’s largest regional mall. Judith Levine is the author of "Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping." They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about economics and culture of consumers in the holiday season.